To Know Us Is To Love Us

Using expert knowledge and state-of-the-art equipment, our dental professionals deliver a complete spectrum of services, including preventive treatments, restorative procedures, root canal therapy, crowns and bridges, inlays and onlays, implants, bone augmentation and oral surgery. For young patients, we offer caring, compassionate pediatric dental care in a relaxing environment. To help you get the smile you’ve always dreamed of, we also offer a comprehensive selection of cosmetic treatments, including orthodontics, veneers and teeth whitening treatments.

To help our patients maximize affordability, Gentle Dental Mission Viejo accepts most dental insurance plans. We also offer special low introductory rates for first-time patients, along with a Dedicated Dental Plan, which includes significant discounts for patients without insurance who need cleanings, exams, x-rays, fluoride treatments and select dental services. Our office also offers flexible financing options for patients who need more extensive dental work, orthodontics or cosmetic procedures.

Since dental issues don’t always happen at convenient times, our office offers flexible hours, which include weekends and some holidays. This makes it easy for busy families to get the dental care they need without having to miss work, cancel important appointments or seriously disrupt their schedules. Whether you need relief from a painful dental issue or want to schedule a cosmetic treatment before an important upcoming event, we make it easy for you to get a healthy, attractive smile you can be proud of.

With a patient-first approach, Gentle Dental is proud to offer expert dental care for residents in and around Mission Viejo. Visit us for a consultation, cleaning or treatment and enjoy compassionate care from a knowledgeable team of friendly dental professionals.

Meet The Team

WHO WE ARE

Ali Pootrakul

Ali Pootrakul

D.D.S., M.D. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon

About Me
Dr. Pootrakul is committed to the highest quality dental care. As an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon he appreciates his role in providing pain relief to his patients through often complex surgical procedures. He applies a caring, detail-oriented approach to each patient’s case, taking time to solve their dental issues effectively, and thoughtfully provides treatment options that are specifically designed around each patient’s needs.
Patients that have had traumatic dental visits in the past at other offices, are pleasantly surprised with his kind manner and gentle approach to Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. Whether you are having a simple extraction or all four wisdom teeth removed under sedation you will feel more like you are at a spa then a dental office. His scope of practice ranges from extractions to full facial reconstruction. His education and surgery training allow him to handle the most complex medical and dental cases without the need to go to a hospital.
After graduating from St John’s University, Dr. Pootrakul earned his D.D.S. from the SUNY Buffalo School of Dentistry. He received his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training from the Westchester Medical Center. He also speaks Spanish and Farsi.
Away from the office, Dr. Pootrakul likes spending time with his wife and son. He enjoys relaxing with exercise and is a classic car enthusiast.

Affiliations

Ashley Kisling

Ashley Kisling

D.D.S., Orthodontist

ABOUT ME
Dr. Kisling says, “I am excited to be apart of their smile journey and I thank you for choosing me to be your doctor! I enjoy getting to know each of my patients. After all, straightening your teeth takes time and you have to be seen at regular intervals. Therefore, you develop long lasting relationships with your patients and I enjoy seeing the evolution their growth as they gain confidence.”

“I originally wanted to become an Orthodontist because before I had braces, I was shy and timid. When I got my braces off, I developed into the person I am today, I became confident, social, and finding any reason to smile. Self-esteem is so important in your developmental years, and I wanted to give both adolescence and adults the same reason to smile.”

After graduating from the UC Irvine, Dr. Kisling received her Dental Degree from the UCLA University School of Dentistry and her Orthodontic Certificate from the Georgia School of Orthodontics. She’s a member of the American Associations of Orthodontics.

Dr. Kisling says, “I love to travel, cook, exercise, and spend time with my family and friends.”

EDUCATION
B.S., Public Health Sciences–UC Irvine
D.D.S.–UCLA School of Dentistry
Orthodontic Certificate–Georgia School of Orthodontics

Maria Pruss

Maria Pruss

ABOUT ME
Dr. Pruss encourages her patients to be involved in their treatment in order to achieve the best results possible, and is always open to questions and is attentive to each patient’s needs.

After graduating from Michigan State University, Dr. Pruss received her Dental Degree and her Endodontic Certificate from the Nova Southeastern University School of Dental Medicine. To keep up with evolving technology, she’s a member of the American Association of Endodontics, the American Dental Association and the California State Dental Association.

She dedicates a considerable amount of time volunteering with missions to Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, Cambodia, as well as volunteer mission to Israel, Spain, Rwanda, India and Congo.

Dr. Pruss is an avid traveler and has been to over 115 countries and counting. She enjoys skiing, running and spending time with her husband and two kids.

EDUCATION
B.S., Physiology–Michigan State University
D.M.D.–Nova Southeastern University School of Dental Medicine
Endodontic Certificate–Nova Southeastern University

AFFILIATIONS
American Association of Endodontics
American Dental Association
California State Dental Association.

Michael Saed

He realizes that your oral health has a profound impact on your overall well-being and appreciates that Gentle Dental allows him to concentrate on helping his patients develop comfortable and confident smiles as he nurtures trusting relationships with them.

After graduating from University of California at Riverside, Dr. Saed received his Dental Degree from the New York University College of Dentistry.

Dr. Saed says, “Away from the office I enjoy Leisurely weekends with friends and family”

Education

B.S., Biology–University of California, Riverside
D.D.S.– New York University College of Dentistry

Stephen Kallaos

Stephen Kallaos

D.D.S. Periodontics

About Me
Dr. Stephen Kallaos’ goal is to provide a pleasant periodontic evaluation and an informative discussion of the options for attaining optimum oral health. He offers multiple levels of sedation to make treatment for his patients as comfortable as possible. He is also very active with his peers to stay on top of the latest technology and procedures available. His membership to industry associations include the Academy of Osseointegration, the American Dental Association, and the California Society of Periodontists, to name a few.
After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from UCLA, Dr. Kallaos continued his studies as a Bruin, entering the UCLA School of Dentistry for his D.D.S. degree. He then focused his studies on Periodontics and earned his certificate in this specialty from the UC San Francisco School of Dentistry. He is Board-certified by the American Board of Periodontology. Dr. Kallaos has been practicing Periodontics since 1998. Outside of the office, he enjoys bicycling, snow skiing, and Sudoku, and his favorite author is Dan Brown. He is married and has three children.

Education

B.S., Biology – University of California, Los Angeles
D.D.S. – University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry
Certificate, Periodontics – University of California
San Francisco School of Dentistry

Tzu-Fei Chang

Tzu-Fei Chang

D.M.D., General Dentist

ABOUT ME
For Dr. Chang, dentistry is the perfect way for her to make people’s lives healthier and happier. Seeing the change in her patients’ smiles and realizing that their treatment was much more comfortable than they expected brings her great gratification. Getting to know her patients and their families is another beautiful aspect of her work at the Gentle Dental.

After graduating from UC Irvine with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Chang received her Dental Degree from the Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine. She also speaks Mandarin Chinese.

Dr. Chang says, “Away from the office I enjoy spending time with with family and friends.”

Reviews

Needed an emergency visit and the lovely team got me in within 2 hours, eased my anxiety and treated me with patience and kindness. The follow up appointment was met with the same gentle approach. This is the best dental experience I’ve had

The ENTIRE staff is always polite and very friendly! I’ve been coming here for 4+ years and they can be trusted. DR. CHANG and BERENICE are always awesome when I get work done, very attentive and they make sure I am always comfortable.

This place is amazing! The manager, assistants and Dr. Chang are all very nice and friendly. I am so afraid of seeing dentist, but I had great experiences here. I had cleaning and some fillings done here and there was NO PAIN AT ALL. For sure I will come back again.

My family and I were looking for a new dentist and decided to try Gentle Dental In mission Viejo that office was the perfect one for my family DR CHANG saw me and the kids and I can say she is so gentle and great on explaining treatment needed.we met nelly I believe she is the office manager and she was so nice and made sure all our financial questions were answered. The back office staff got us in quickly that was a plus that we didn’t wait for a long time .WE LEFT THAT OFFICE WITH A GREAT SMILE AND THE KIDS CANT WAIT TO GO BACK IN 6 months .Great office great staff.

My husband and I were first time patients walked in and right away we were startled at the greeting that we reasived on our way in the door filled out some paper work and we’re seen right away once at the chair my husband and I needed some work done so my so we decided to get it done and was pleased with the amazing work Dr.Chang did she explains everything she was doing one step at a time I can’t wait to be back in 6 months !!!!!!!!

Gentle Dental Mission Viejo replied on Jan 11, 2019:

Dear Berenice Rodriguez, Thank you for taking the time to post your kind words. At, Gentle Dental Mission Viejo, it means a lot to us to know you had a great experience and we look forward to seeing you on your next visit.

Great service. Made an appointment from bad tooth pain and got in for service on the same day. Called the general number and the customer service agent was extremely nice and went out of her way to help me. When I came into the office everyone was really nice and so was the dentist and dental assistants. Just a great expierence for someone like me who dreads going to the dentist. Also kudos to the office manager, she is super nice!

Excellent service. The best deep cleaning. The dentist took time to explain the procedure. The front office explain payment options in simple way. Everything was so smooth. I highly recommended Gentle Dental

I have to admit my first experience this place was not that great because they canceled my surgery the day before and I was all prepared. I have really bad anxiety when I go to the end dentist and this just added to my frustrations. But the second time around I was happy that they worked with me because I was originally quoted one price and upon return I was quoted something that was almost double my original quote. I was told that it was due to management change. After expressing my frustrations the office manager and the oral surgeon managed to work with me and got me a much more reasonable price agreed on with my extractions. So since I allowed for Redemption from my first visit that I wasn't very happy with I was able to be more satisfied the second time around.

Everyone was extremely kind and very concerned about keeping me as pain-free as possible. As someone who is usually afraid of going to the dentist, I can definitely recommend the all-woman office of Gentle Dental in Mission Viejo.

Dr. Chang did excellent work replacing 2 veneers on my front teeth which is obviously very important! She was gentle and efficient. She did some fillings today and I will be back to get rest of my work done. Staff is more than helpful and Sandra even more so.

Questions about Insurance?

If you have dental insurance and are concerned about coverage do not hesitate to reach out to our friendly staff. Our team here at Gentle Dental will help you with any payment or insurance questions you may have and will work closely with you to help you get the most out of your dental plan.

About Payment

Gentle Dental aims to be as gentle on your wallet as our dentists are when providing treatment. Our professional staff will help you get the most from your dental insurance benefits and explain any deductibles and co-pays to you.

Our In-House Discount Plan – The Gentle Dental Plan

For more details or to enroll, visit: www.gentledentalplan.com or call 1(800) 903-2532.
You can also enroll at one of our locations.

Flexible Financing

We understand that you don’t always have the cash at hand, that’s why we accept most major credit cards and offer flexible financing options which can be helpful if you require more extensive work, orthodontics, or cosmetic procedures that aren’t covered by insurance. These plans can offer:

Low down payment and no interest1

No money down and no interest2

Extended terms up to 48 months at 14.9% promotional interest rates3

We want to make paying for dental services as easy as possible. For more information, call us toll-free at 1-800-GENTLE1 to get in touch with the Gentle Dental Office in your neighborhood.

On approved credit. For promotional purchases over $300 if paid in full within promotional period. If promotional purchase is not paid in full within promotional period, interest will be imposed from the date of purchase at 26.99% APR.

On approved credit. For promotional purchases over $1,000. Fixed monthly payments based on repayment over 24, 36, or 48 month period.